Color Love Life

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T00:30:00.001-08:00

At home with my parents for the first time since Thanksgiving. There are presents lovingly wrapped under the tree and I am honored to state that six were purchased by me with my own money to give to my two best friends: mom and grandma. Merry Christmas to you!
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Daily 5 #5

2009-12-06T23:25:00.001-08:00

Today's daily five features beautiful architecture, especially with shop fronts. Recap photo to follow on Monday. Good night!
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Daily 5 #4

2009-12-06T02:07:00.001-08:00

Daily 5 #3

2009-12-04T18:46:00.001-08:00

Florals with pink hues. Not necessarily cliche to have pink flowers, especially when it's done right.
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Delicious No Cook Lunch

2009-12-03T16:02:00.001-08:00

Jeff and I love to cook and we especially like trying new combinations. But sometimes I don't feel much like cleaning or even cooking. I solved that problem with a delicious tuna sandwhich bowl!

1 can of tuna (we prefer canned in olive oil)
1 whole tomato (sliced as desired)
2 tbsps mayonaise
Basil leaves (in seasoning form)
Onion and garlic seasoning
3 slices white bread
1 slice Laughing Cow cheese in French Onion

Combine ingredients in a bowl (I used a tupperware bowl. Seriously.) Eat and enjoy!

Next time I definitely have to add sliced celery.

Next great meal I'm thinking of preparing? Cous cous bowl with veggies (and possibly chicken or tuna).
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Holiday Glitz: Silver and Purple

2009-12-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

The holiday season evokes some color combinations that are both classic (red and green) and chic (metallic). Here is an interpretation-slash-inspiration for your holiday festivities: silver and purple.

Christmas Glitz by colorlovelife featuring Poetic Licence shoes

Daily 5 #2

2009-12-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

2 Photo Sets: Mila Kunis

2009-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I can't say I'm a fan of this particular actress, but the girl can certainly take a beautiful picture. Enjoy.
Sources one & two

Natalie Portman for Marie Claire Photoshoot

2009-12-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Natalie Portman is one of the most talented and beautiful actors of my generation. Here she is in a photoshoot for Marie Claire Magazine.
Photo Credit: NataliePortman.com

CLL on Tumblr

2009-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

I have signed up for a Tumblr blog to create a companion blog to Color Love Life. It's set up gallery style so I can post photos from my personal (and growing) collection of photos that inspire. CLL on Tumblr will be updated daily, including a new segment I'm calling the Daily 5. Each day I will upload 5 new images that are inspiring to me (and hopefully to you as well!) Here is a sample of your Daily 5 for Wednesday, December 2, 2009:

Celebrity Photograph(y)

2009-12-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

I love picking up a camera and snapping a photo to capture something interesting. I don't do it enough. But when I come across a person I admire who does it with great enthusiasm, it ignites my interest once again. It's no secret that I have a tremendous admiration for Lauren Conrad of "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills" fame. Her style aesthetic is chic simplicity and she can do no wrong. I came across these photos she snapped herself, both with a Nikon and her BlackBerry (and posted via Twitter). Check it out. (Click for Lauren's Twitter and MySpace)

For Those Who Shop at Lane Bryant

2009-12-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Lanebryant.com is offering Buy One Get One Free today, with free shopping when you spend $75 or more. What will I be shopping for? New bras.

True story: on Thanksgiving Lane Bryant was offering everything at 40% off. I nearly bought 3 bras (buy 2 get 1 free) but ended up deleting them from my cart. Now I have the opportunity to get them again! Happy Shopping!
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Benefits of the Cucumber

2009-12-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this today and thought I would share it. I personally don't care for cucumbers, but I'm willing to put that aside to try a few of these!

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers,traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Working Girl

2009-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

I've been fortunate enough to work an increasing amount of hours the past couple weeks thanks, in large part, to Black Friday and the Holiday Season. Unfortunately my feet haven't been too cooperative, and there have been times when I've barely been able to walk for a short period of time once I returned home from a shift. But, I'm getting into the groove of things and more than grateful for the hours + weekly paychecks. My bills are getting paid and I can afford presents for my friends and family this holiday season. Unfortunately it also means I haven't had much time to blog. I will try to blog on days that I'm off, but I'm only averaging about one day a week in that area. I have a couple posts to go out today, so I hope that will help!

What's Happening?

2009-11-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

I enjoy the holidays for the usual - and the unusual - reasons. The music, the scents, the food, all the usual stuff that everyone loves about the holidays. The unusual? I love that stores change up their holiday packaging! A red Starbucks cup means Christmas is nearly upon us. Victoria's secret goes from their usual pink and white stripes to pink and red, which I've always been inspired by and this season is no exception.

I'm working on a new layout! And the color palette above is my inspiration. Please pardon me while I make the necessary changes to the layout to bring about the holiday season!

Great Shoes, Terrible Customer Service

2009-11-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Nobody would accuse Crocs shoes of being stylish. In fact, they're often lauded and criticized. Sure, kids look cute in them, but adults? Except, there are people in this world who wear shoes for comfort and not style, at least, maybe not at the same time. I bought my first pair of Crocs at the urging of a friend. It was maybe three years ago and said friend described them as like a constant massage for your feet. I tried them on. I fell in love. My first pair was the classic "Beach" in white.

The company says that you cannot wear these shoes out, but they're wrong. I definitely wore that pair out, as I wore them probably for about a year straight. Right now they're sitting out in the patio, covered in dirt. The second pair I got I did not actually buy myself. It was the night of college graduation, all was said and done and I was having one last night with Jeff before we parted for the summer. We had bought tickets to see Star Trek in IMAX at the Edwards in Camarillo. While we were waiting, we decided to check out the latest section of the Camarillo Premium Outlets that had just opened, called The Promenade. There was a Crocs outlet store and we went in just to browse. In the bins (where they keep the shoes separately, and you can find the pairs yourself) Jeff and I found these, the "Mary Jane" in Sea Foam.

I don't wear them every day. I did for a while, especially during the summer, but now they're mostly used for running around the apartment or doing laundry or just for a quick run out for errands. They were $10 and Jeff bought them for me. I took off whatever shoes I was wearing (I think brown flip flops?) and put these on. They were on my feet when we saw Star Trek, and I drove home with them on at midnight after saying a very tearful goodbye to Jeff.

Did I mention I wear a size 13?

Finding shoes in my size is very difficult and I've been pretty much limited to Payless Shoes because they carry 12 wide and 13 (on the website). However, these shoes aren't known for quality or comfort. Now that I'm working at Macys, I need shoes that I can walk in and stand in for hours at a time, that will offer support and be comfortable. I thought to myself, I'll get a pair of Crocs! They make them in all styles now, I'm sure I can find something in a ballet flat or something similar.

Last night Jeff and I went back to that same Crocs store and found a pair of black flats that were on sale for $19.99. I couldn't pay for them last night, but they put them on hold for me and told me they opened at 9am the next morning. That's when the trouble began.

I was excited about the shoes because they weren't terribly unattractive, they fit and felt comfortable (size 12 womens, thank goodness they fit because that's very hit and miss) and they're black, which means I can wear them with most of my wardrobe. Unfortunately, due to consumption of way too much garlic last night, I woke up this morning sick and not feeling well at all. But, I wanted to be at the store in the morning so I could pay for my shoes and be on my way. I get there just before 9:30. The lights are off, the doors are shut and locked. A man wearing an orange Crocs shirt walks up and I explain that I was told the store opens at 9 and asked him what time it actually opens. He replied with something to the extent of "some stores open at 9 but no, we open at 9:30." Okay, fine. It was nearly 9:30 anyway and all I had to do was wait a few minutes.

At 9:32 the employees were in the store, the lights were on and they were walking around, adjusting the merchandise. I attempted to open the doors and they were locked. I sat back down at the table and waited, thinking they were just running late, but also starting to get annoyed. One employee already knew I was there and the others would look at me as they walked around the store. I tried the doors again and they were still locked. Finally, around 9:48 I call the store. Here is the conversation that transpired:

Crocs: Thank you for calling Crocs...
Me: Yes, hi. What time do you open?
Crocs: 10:00
Me: Well last night I was told you open at 9:00 and one of your employees this morning told me you open at 9:30.
Crocs: We open at 10:00.

I hung up. I was very upset and I didn't want to just sit around for another 10 to 15 minutes. So I went to Starbucks. When I came back just after 10 the double doors were wide open and there were customers inside. I walk in and, surprise, nobody greets me (what kind of retail store doesn't greet customers?) I walk up to the register and the same man who last night told me the store opened at 9, was standing right there. I calmly informed him that I was picking up a pair of shoes I had on hold and gave him my name. He asked me what kind of shoes they were. "Black Crocs." At that point I couldn't care less if I sounded even slightly snotty; I was fighting back my temper and trying with much effort to not cause a scene. In my mind I was thinking I want your name, the name of ever person working this morning, the names of people who worked last night, the name of your manager, your store number and the number I contact to make a complaint. Instead I gave him my name and he went to fetch them. He came back out a moment later and asked me, "Was it Crystal or Crista?" Crystal. Finally he got them, rang them up and I paid without incident. The entire time the store was very quiet and nobody would make eye contact with me.

I haven't worked in retail for very long, but I've always worked in customer service and never would I ever have treated a customer or client like that. It may not seem like a big deal to them, that they told me the wrong time, twice, but it was an enormous deal for me. I was sick, tired and thought the entire trip would take me 15 minutes and instead it took an hour. At any point that young man who told me they opened at 9:30 could have popped his head out of the door to say, "I'm sorry, ma'am, we don't open until 10." The one thing I hate more than anything about retail stores is when I'm ignored by an employee. At Macys, and even when I worked seasonal last year at Lane Bryant, great customer service was always enforced. You greet the customer, you take care of them, you help them. Nobody appreciates being ignored and especially not me.

I know myself; I have a temper. I seldom lose it but when I do, it's not a pretty picture. I'm actually quite proud of myself for maintaining as calm a composure as possible, but I'm angry that I couldn't let them know how terrible they were. I'm seriously contemplating the idea of writing a letter of complaint about the situation. We'll see. At this moment I feel better now that it's off my chest, but the lingering feeling of not being treated with any customer service at all has left a lump of coal in my heart. Will I stop wearing Crocs? Of course not. I might think twice before I visit that store again. At the end of the day, I have my shoes and I didn't lose my cool. Any victory, no matter how small, is still a victory.

Nothing "Bad" about this Romance

2009-11-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

A Small Announcement

2009-11-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

While I am enjoying the temporary comforts of being seasonally employed by Macy's, I've still been looking for full time, permanent work. I recently updated my profile on Monster.com and very soon after I got a call from someone in HR at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for a position in their distribution center, which is here in the town I'm currently living in. This person saw my profile and wanted to have me come in for an interview. This is the first time anyone has ever called me for a job interview without me ever having applied with them. I would like to not get my hopes up, but I have set my hopes higher than normal because this would be a great opportunity. It's full time, and while only a job through the end of January 2010, it could possibly turn into a full time job. I'm getting ready now for the interview. Wish me luck! This would be a great opportunity to finally give my family the wonderful Christmas I've been wanting for so long.

House"wife"

2009-11-04T19:02:00.001-08:00

I have been increasingly frustrated lately with the amount of housecleaning I have had to do lately. It makes me irrationally angry to look at any mess (especially in the kitchen) and terribly frustrated when I cave in and start cleaning. I never wanted to be a housewife. If there was a shared home, marriage and especially kids in the picture it would be entirely different. Instead I find myself cleaning messes that shouldn't be made to begin with. There is no reason in the world to not do dishes until (quite literally) every dish is dirty. There is no reason why you can't pick up trash and put it in the trash. No reason why it shouldn't go into the trash to begin with.

I am living a life that I foolishly volunteered for because I thought it would somehow change certain aspects about out life that I was unhappy with. Alas, nothing has changed. My parents don't seem to miss me much and I was literally invited to my own house for Thanksgiving dinner. I still technically live there! I'm only where I'm at now for the sake of finding a job.

I have had so much of this frustration building up in me and I can sense it coming to a boiling point. Nothing in my life is going according to plan and I am really fed up with this feeling of being lost. I want things to change and I want them to change right now. But how is that going to happen?

The part that makes me feel guilty? Today marks a year and a half of being together. It really feels like a make it or break it situation these days. Obviously I don't want to break it, but I doubt he will do what needs to be done to make it.
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Real Estalker Favorites

2009-11-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

Once in a while I browse through The Real Estalker to look at how green the grass is on the other side, so to speak. I like the idea that I can see what a celeb's home looks like and sometimes it makes for great inspiration (I love architecture!). Here are some of my recent favorites from The Real Estalker.

Ryan Cabrera

Patrick Dempsey

Ashlee Simpson

Julianne Moore

Joey Fatone

Debi Mazar

Photos via The Real Estalker.

Great News

2009-11-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was offered a seasonal, part time job at Macy's! I know, it's not much, but at least it will give me some Christmas shopping money and another little blurb to put on my resume. This will be the second holiday season in a row that I have worked. Hopefully I won't have to do 5am on Black Friday, but if I have to, then I will. I'm just happy to finally have something that will bring in a paycheck. Plus, Macy's associates get paid weekly, so that will definitely help a great deal!

I'm currently working on changing the layout a bit to transition into the holiday season. Working on that Monday!

Have a great Sunday!

A "City" Girl's Bedroom

2009-10-29T15:45:00.001-07:00

I used to love watching MTV's The Hills, but since Lauren Conrad left the show just hasn't been the same. Enter The City, which features Whitney Port and the so lovely Olivia Palermo. The show was a bit snoozy last season (technically, it's still in the first season, labeled "part two"), but has seriously taken over the space in my heart once reserved for Lauren Conrad's weekly drama (or lack thereof).

In this week's episode there is a scene in which Whitney and her roommate, Roxy, are getting ready for some party or another, and I instantly fell in love with the entire look of the bedroom:

I've always loved the look of girly clothes hanging from doors and I'm definitely falling in love with that gorgeous mirror propped up against the amazing purple wall. Everything about this room is delicious and I'm seriously craving my own girly room to call home.

Photo via The Hills Freak.

Color Crave: Chanel-ing Inspiration

2009-10-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

Lately I've found myself longing for the elegance of a simple black and white palette, not for clothing, necessarily, but as an aesthetic. I can think of no better example, then that of Chanel. In a world that's anything but two-tone, Karl Lagerfeld has managed to make the two-tone palette desirable to women (and men) across the globe.

Chanel-ing Inspiration by colorlovelife featuring Chanel

Black and white, quilting and chains, pearls and patent leather. The Chanel aesthetic is the epitome of chic and feminine.

Chanel by colorlovelife featuring Chanel

For those of us who can't afford the extravagant price tag of the Chanel label, the look can be achieved affordably and successfully. Here are a few great examples of achieving the Chanel look, for less.

The Chanel Look $50 by colorlovelife featuring Dorothy Perkins

Items in this set:
Sara Bow Dress, $45
Black and White Chiffon Ruffle Dress, $35
Black velvet power dress, 30 GBP
Forever21.com - Dresses - Dressy - 2066214033, $28
Miso Lurex Net Dress, 27 GBP

Chanel Inspired Look for Under $100 by colorlovelife featuring AFTERSHOCK

Items in this set:
Posh Hot Pant - FRENCH CONNECTION, 60 GBP
JJ Park netted skirt - Very, 55 GBP
INCEDE Pleated Frilled Blouse (Beige) - 53.70USD(Approx.) : MARUI web chann..., $55
Sequin skirt, 50 GBP
Black ruffle front skirt, 40 GBP

Take some time to edit through your current wardrobe and you might be surprised to find you're well on your way to creating your own Chanel-inspired look! I took a look through my own closet, and found the following pieces that fall well within the Chanel aesthetic.

Pieces I found include a brand new tuxedo inspired jacket, a knee-length dress jacket (purchased last year, primarily worn during the holidays), a tuxedo inspired blouse (also pilgrim inspired? lol) and a white sleeveless blouse.

For quite some time now I've been thinking about how I will want to redecorate my bedroom (you know, once I have a job and financial opportunity) and lately I've been thinking about black and white. With some metallic thrown in for good measure. Chiefly among new items I need are:

desk
mirror
shelving
accent rug
something to keep my jewelry organized
accessories & decorations

Target is one store that will always have my business, for having Wal Mart prices without the actual Wal Mart. Target has stepped up their game in the last decade, and the result is loyalty among smart shoppers. A quick browser-shopping (like window shopping!) session has me craving the following items for my room makeover.

South Hampton Desk, Round Iron Mirror, Side Table, Brushed Steel Floor Lamp, Chandelier Night Light, Crystal Lamp Base 14", Silk Lamp Shade

All accessories pictured are less than $100 each! Eifel Tower Unframed Poster, Eifel Tower Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Classical Leaves II, Abstract on Canvas, Wire Leaf Sconce, Tealight Candleholder With Mirror, Printed Glass Wall Clock, Black Floral Decorative Pillow, Cream Crinkle Pillow, Black and Grey Felt Pillow

A Small Transition

2009-10-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

I've been here at Jeff's since last Wednesday. I was meant to leave Monday afternoon, but on Sunday Jeff's mother made plans to come out to visit, so I stayed and planned to leave Tuesday. On Tuesday I packed and when we took my stuff out to my car, noticed a flat tire. A four inch nail came out from it. We decided to take it in to repair it Wednesday and to leave that afternoon. Took it in and found the 4" nail punctured the side wall. And now, I have an appointment this (Thursday) morning to get a new tire. The plan is to go home today. We'll see. I'm prepared. I helped Jeff go grocery shopping and I believe him to be set for the time being.

Meanwhile, since I have taken over my old desktop computer again, I figured I should take some of my inspirational stuff (links, photos, etc) and borrow them from this MacBook (which I miss, dearly) to put them on my desktop, so my inspiration can be with me always (it's always on my iTouch). That's what I'm doing now. I've gone through nearly all of the favorited bookmarks and I'm taking with me the ones I love best.

I'm finding new inspirations. I want to write again. It is a pasttime I was quite good at but haven't done much of in recent years. I want to create art again, but this time without the debilitating self doubt. I want to drink more coffee, because I love it. Did I mention I quit smoking? I did. I don't even know how long it's been since I last smoked. I think it must have been around a month ago, or so. But I find that inspiration is slowly coming back into my life, and I need to focus it and let it out. I also want to blog more often, and do more with this blog, as I originally intended.

I really need my life to be on track. Small transitions can make the biggest impacts, sometimes.

Three Months Later

2009-10-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the past 3 months I have repeatedly chastised myself for seemingly giving up my blog and losing interest. In the last three months I have been largely away from home and trying desperately to find a job. I helped my boyfriend, Jeff, move in and set up his apartment and it seems I couldn't stay away from more than 2 weeks at a time. The computer I use is the MacBook that Jeff and I jointly own (purchased together a year ago) and since Jeff's academic schedule is back in full-swing, the MacBook has stayed with him and I have been using his old, crappy laptop until literally only last week. I set up my old desktop computer, fixed a problem with the wireless internet we put on it, and voila, I'm set up in my own bedroom in my own hometown. And yet, I haven't blogged.

It's been exactly (as of today) 5 months since I graduated college. I have since then had only 2 job interviews. Two. I couldn't even tell you how many jobs I have actually applied for. I'm equal parts annoyed and dismayed about the lack of communication employers have these days. Very few people acknowledge receipt of application or resume. I have, however, received a handful of emails saying, basically, "thanks, but no thanks." Last week I interviewed at a bridal boutique in Santa Barbara. I was told that everyone who applied was being interviewed and those who did well would then go on to meet the district manager. Except, I was only asked two questions during the interview (Why was I interested in Bridal and What one word would best describe me?) When, on Tuesday, I got an email saying "thanks, but no thanks," I got the sneaking suspicion that the whole thing could have been avoided had I just sent a picture attached with my resume. I really do believe that they were interviewing me more for my looks than if I was capable of doing the job. I assume they were looking for petite "pretty" girls, which I actually consider to be pretty darn AVERAGE. I'm not a "pretty girl." I have some unique features, thanks to a mixing of British and Eastern European looks. And I'm not a little waif thing who can shimmy into a single digit pair of jeans. In fact, I represent a style that is referred to as "plus." This bridal boutique proudly displays on their website that they also carry styles for "plus." Now, when I go to pick out my wedding dress, it won't be from the aforementioned AVERAGE, because how would someone like that know what this "plus" girl would look and feel best in? The whole thing left a sour taste in my throat and a big "WTF just happened?" constantly on the tip of my tongue. The best thing that came from it all was that I took my mother along with me, and we met Jeff and spent the afternoon in Santa Barbara. And yes, they went with me to my interview. Not something I would normally do but I was expecting to be taken back into an office for an interview, not to just sit down on the couch in the middle of the boutique and be asked which one word best describes me.

Few things about this entire situation upset me to no end. I was never prepared for this. When I was in school we were told what career options were available to us, but we were never taught what to do in this depressing economy. I was never said to go "here" and do "that" and voila, I'll have a job. No one prepared me for the fact that I would have to write to my Stafford Loan lenders and apply for an additional extension to my six month grace period... because I can't pay my cell phone bill, let alone my college loans. On top of all that, my grandma is the one paying for my existence and it's wearing thin on her. I know she can't help but nag on me to find a job, but sometimes she acts as if it's my fault and not the economy's. In fact, it took a long time and many bouts of frustration and depression to realize that it's not me, it is the economy. I was feeling like a complete and utter failure, and all the while failing to realize that it was, in fact, not my fault.

So, here I am. Five months after graduation, unemployed, bouncing back and forth between my parent's home and my boyfriend's home, desperately seeking an opportunity to move my life forward. I had nothing inspirational to write about. I couldn't even be inspired. Now, it's just day-by-day existence. Jeff and I are in a comfortable space in our relationship, my mother and I are mostly getting along for the first time in a very long time, and I'm doing what I can to find full time, permanent employment. I signed up with a staffing agency. I prettied up my resume. And every day I see the holidays inching closer and closer. Recently I have started getting the feeling that things would start changing for the better and that I would have the means to have a wonderful Christmas, where I could buy my family and friends presents for the first time in years. It's what I'm holding on to... Because I cannot start 2010 as a failure. I'm hoping for the best.

Under The Weather

2009-07-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't been feeling too well lately. I've been getting headaches every day, one day even having a migraine. Every morning when I wake up I realize how dehydrated I am, even if I have had plenty of fluids the day/night before. I'm trying to take it easy to feel better in time to stay with Jeff in his new apartment for a while (which I'm hoping will bring about a posting frenzy!) In the meantime, I apologize for the lack of my updating recently. I know I'll feel better soon.

Crystal

Lovely Day Spent In The Sun

2009-07-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Getting sunburned, that is. We share a community pool with the surrounding apartments and usually in the summer it is filled with kiddies and their parents. Today we took the opportunity to occupy the vacant pool, and it was a lot of fun, splashing around with my mom and grandma like we used to do when I was a kid. The only drawback being that I am sunburned on my arms and back. It's not terrible, but enough to sting and be painful. Afterwards I attempted to take a nap. I'm definitely not solar powered because every time I'm out in the sun I instantly become sleepy. Plus, getting sunburned seems to take a lot of energy out of me (and other people, I've been told) and I was pooped out after. We finished off the day with a nice dinner at local Italian eatery, La Botte. Couldn't ask for a better summer day with the family!

Back on Track/First Apartment, Take 2

2009-07-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

In the short time that I've stepped away from my lovely little blog here, I've had a lot of stuff happen to me. Some good. Some not. I do feel like because of all the things that have happened in such a short period of time, I had to do some internal growing and reexamine a few things about life. I'm confident that I can continue on now, better than before, and devote myself to CLL& in a positive way.

In related news, I had mentioned before about Jeff getting an apartment with a mutual friend of ours. That is no longer happening, for various reasons I won't publicly share, and so In 24 hours Jeff was notified that he had lost his roommate, then went out and scored himself a lovely apartment in a great community! Kudos to him for not sitting on his laurels and lamenting his loss. He kept his head up and did what he had to do because he knew that was what needed to be done.

Another great nugget of news is that, while Jeff was originally planning to move around the 10th of August, because of the deal he was able to get yesterday, he's signing the lease tomorrow (Saturday) and will officially have the green light to move in on Sunday! Because of his work schedule that's not going to happen, but he will be moving in over the course of next week, as his schedule permits. Of course this is great news for me because this means that I won't have to go nearly a month without seeing him or being with him.

Last weekend I stayed with Jeff and his parents at their house in Valencia and helped them pick out Jeff's new bed. Honestly, I never realized how difficult it was shopping for a mattress. A few years ago when I bought a new bed it was easy; we went to one store, they delivered it and that was that. But there is a whole market of just beds and mattresses and it's all about firmness and plushness and all kinds of things. We went to so many stores and finally his parents just ended up getting him a good quality queen size mattress (with spring and frame, etc...) from Costco, of all places. That cost about $700 after taxes. The weekend before that they had made a trip to a hotel supply store and purchased a Klik Klak couch for around $300. Between those 2 items, the furniture Jeff already had in his home, and the additional things I will be giving to him from when I lived in the dorms, he should have a nearly fully finished apartment! What a great way to start off the new school year.

Additionally, I'm finishing a painting for him and will be working on another painting of a passion flower - his favorite - so that he may have some art to hang on his walls. I'm also looking into DIY projects for a headboard, since he is scraping that purchase for the time being. I also hope to be documenting the entire move-in and set-up process via photos, which I hope to share here.

Thanks for reading.
Crystal

Be Right Back...

2009-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

There are some matters in my personal life right now that are causing me to be unfocused and without inspiration. So, I will be taking a bit of a breather, just until I am refreshed and can come back to Color Love Life & with a new focus. And hopefully my personal life will mend itself in the meantime.

Thank you,

Crystal

Birthdays & First Apartments

2009-07-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday celebrated my mom's 51st birthday. It was a beautiful day that we started off by sleeping in! Unintentionally, of course. We made it to Pea Soup Anderson's in Buellton for brunch where I had a yummy chicken pasta sandwich and sampled my mom's Monte Carlo sandwhich and my grandma's old fashioned potato salad. Next we picked up the cake, rented a free movie (XFiles: I Want to Believe, which was disappointing) and headed home for cake and relaxation. The cake was a lovely circle cake with white cake, white buttercream filling and white buttercream frosting with pink and yellow roses. It'll all be gone today, I can guarantee it!

Meanwhile...

Jeff and his parents went up to Camarillo to look at apartments and Jeff has decided on a great apartment community called Alara. It will be a very nice first place for him to live in and I can't wait until he moves in! He has plans to send in his application and put in a holding deposit early this week so he can move in later this month. A part of me is happy that I'm still unemployed because that means I can spend extra time with him to get him moved in, acquainted with his new home, and have together time with him.

Speaking of employment... Unfortunately Craigslist has not been a great source of job opportunities, as I've been victim to scam artists who now have my email and are using it to spam me with crap on a daily basis. Too many job opportunities are being flagged for removal and it's not giving me much hope. How do so many people find jobs via the Internet? I simply do not trust online job sites anymore because every time I do I end up with an inbox full of crap. Is it too much to ask to find something legitamite? I did see a great opportunity in the Sunday edition of the Santa Barbara News Press, so I faxed in a cover letter and resume for that and hopefully something will come of it! Fingers crossed!

Interview: Lifelong Friend & Professional Belly Dancer

2009-07-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Late in the summer of 1998, two 15 year old girls met via the Internet and a shared interest in one of the greatest boy bands ever to grace music. Despite a few hundred miles between them, the changes in life as a growing teenager, college and periods of no contact, these two remained great friends. I was one of those girls, and the second was Julia Lolita Bernal.

We're both 26 today and it's been eleven years of friendship. We've shared stories of first loves and heartbreaks and even periods when we didn't speak at all. But through the amazing Internet we've been able to keep our friendship alive.

Today, Julia is an accomplished Belly Dancer. What started as a hobby has grown into a passion. Accompanied by photos by photographer Nick Chao, I'm pleased to interview one of my greatest friends, Julia Lolita Bernal.

First, thank you so much for letting me interview you for Color Love Life! We’ve been friends for a long time (11 years!) but we’ve been a bit out of touch for the last few years while I was away at school. During that time you really developed an interest in belly dancing. How did that come about?
Thank you for asking me to be apart of Color Love Life! I am really honored. Wow, has it really been 11 years? Time flies by, doesn’t it? I wish I could say “while you’re having fun” but the years we weren’t in touch, I wasn’t really having fun. LOL.

I learned basic belly dance moves in my high school dance class, right before Britney Spears and Shakira brought belly dancing to mainstream popularity. The girl who taught me told me I was doing it all wrong, I felt completely dejected and decided to sit out while the belly dance choreography was being taught. I fell in love with the different colored veils that were being used in the dance and decided I would practice belly dance moves on my own, in my bedroom. I did this off and on for about a year or two and met my dance instructor in an online health class during my first year of high school and the rest is history.

You mentioned Britney Spears and Shakira. When they "belly dance" is it really belly dancing in the context of what you do? Or is it more dancing and entertainment?
Well, the only belly dancing that Britney Spears did was for her music video "I'm A Slave 4 U" and I can't even remember now how much of it was actually belly dancing. But with a combination of Shakira and Britney Spears belly dancing did become more mainstream. As far as Shakira is concerned for a while it just seems like all she did was shake her booty and that's it. But I searched YouTube and she actually CAN belly dance, she's amazing!!! So, I wold say that Britney's dancing was more entertainment and Shakira can totally belly dance!

What drew you to belly dancing in the first place?
Well, my introduction to belly dancing would have been through watching and loving the Disney movie Aladdin. I thought Princess Jasmine and the belly dancers used in various scenes were extremely sensual and powerful in the way they moved; all while being very shapely. I always wanted to experience that feeling and when I was given an opportunity to learn, I took it!

How has it affected you? In physical, mental and emotional ways?
Prior to belly dancing, I really struggled over my body image. I wanted to have the body frame of Britney Spears, with J-Lo’s abs and backside, and have Jennifer Love Hewitt’s legs, because that is what was considered to be attractive or ideal in pop culture. I realized that my body is built to be curvaceous and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as I am living a healthy and active life. If I’m taking care of my body and healthy, why should I have to conform to someone else’s idea of what beautiful is and isn’t? As soon as that clicked in my head, I was instantly 100% happier. I came to realize this through that fact that in the belly dance world, having weight on your body is really valued. Having meat on your body make it so you can see certain moves like “flutters” or “belly rolls.” I also feel more flexible when I’ve been dancing regularly.

If you had a business card, would you list “Professional Belly Dancer” as your profession?
Yes, I would.

Do you do performances professionally or more casually? Do you make any money from it?
I used to perform casually for many years. It wasn’t until I decided to eat healthier and be more active, that I lost a lot of weight, almost 40 pounds, and started to gain a lot of confidence in MY body. I started to buy professional belly dance costumes and worked really hard in the dance studio with the troupe I am in. Naturally the professional paying gigs came pouring in for the past year.

Are there any misconceptions about belly dancing people should be corrected about?
I want people to know that belly dancing isn’t stripping. I hate that they are linked together. The other problem I have is how men, who do not know how the world of belly dancing works, treat belly dancers. I don’t think people know how to handle the beauty and power that belly dancers have when they move to the exotic and rich music. So I think it’s easier for them to instantly relate it to something like sex and then treat us like an object and not a human being. Sure we’re in revealing outfits but it doesn’t warrant you to disrespect us.

What are the outfits like? Are they easy to move in?
I have Egyptian and Turkish belly dance costumes; which consists of a skirt, harem pants, bra, and belt. The skirts are sheer and made out of chiffon. One of my skirts is made out of chiffon panels and the other is a two tiered chiffon skirt. They’re extremely beautiful when you’re spinning! The harem pants are an option. Some women show off their legs, I choose not to. If I don’t wear my harem pants, I feel like I might flash the audience a lovely color of my underpants! The bra and belt, by far is my favorite part! They’re decorated with fringe, beads, sequence, coins, appliqués, etc. Costumes are like clothes in the sense that they look differently depending on your body type. So if you get a costume that fits your body type well, you will move around easily and with confidence.

Which costume of yours is your favorite to wear and dance in?
Oh man, I haven't found a belly dance costume that is my favorite. They're all pretty but I'm still looking for my dream costume. I really want to buy a costume that has shades of orange, red, and brown. Those colors are gorgeous and makes stage makeup REALLY fun.

Where do you see yourself going with this? Will you be a professional belly dancer for the next stage of your life or do you have other plans?
About a year ago I wanted the troupe I am in to be so much in demand that we traveled to other cities, states, or counties. But things have changed; I will always belly dance, it truly is a workout and I like the way it tones my body. The next stage of my life would have to be a career in teaching elementary school, and since meeting my significant other the possibility of being married and having a family is now an option that I am going to take when the time is right for us to do so.

Your cousin, Mara, dances with you as well, right? What's it like to have family by your side with you while dancing?
It's so much fun dancing with my cousin Mara. We look so much a like that we get a lot of guests from private parties or members of an audience come up to us and ask us if we're twins, sisters, or cousins. Sometimes we say sisters, if we're feeling like bras we say twins, but usually we giggle and tell them we're cousins, in unison too. It's like surround sound.

How can someone get started with belly dancing?
I would recommend finding a belly dance instructor in your area. Just google belly dancing and your town's name. Sometimes it's available at a gym, that's also a possibility. If you're too shy or don't have an instructor near you, I'd buy an instructional DVD. I recommend The Magic of Belly Dance by Ansuya and The Heartbeat of Bellydance: Rhythms & Belly Dance Combinations for Drum Solos with Jenna and Raquy. They're great DVDs that may or may not be a challenge, so you'll get more out of it then a basic DVD where you learn a step right away and then you've got all you can out of the DVD. Thankfully the dance steps are broken down and you can pause it if you need to drill it a few times.

Many thanks to Julia for allowing me to interview her! For more on Julia, you can peek at her Facebook. Photography by Nick Chao (who is 17 years old!)

The September Issue Trailer

2009-07-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

I've seen this trailer a few times now for "The September Issue", which is a documentary of sorts about Anna Wintour. It's being hailed as the real The Devil Wears Prada. See for yourself.

Thoughts?

Spa Created For You

2009-06-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

The last and best beauty investment I made was in an unknown (to me) lotion called Jerome Privee Spa Moisturizing Body Lotion. The bottle claims to be "enriched with aloe vera, Vitamin E & collagen" but what is really impressive is the scent and the way it feels. I'm terribly OCD when it comes to how moisturized my hands are (just ask anyone who knows me) and I never ever use lotions with fragrance because that just means that it contains alcohol, which is drying and counterproductive. But this lotion has been nothing short of amazing so far. I use it all over after drying off from a shower and the scent and feel is very luxurious.

Luxury is very important in a bathroom. A bathroom is one of the most personal spaces -if not the most- that you're in by yourself. We're completely vulnerable and these acts of privacy require a certain level of comfort. For my personal taste, I prefer a bathroom reminiscent of a spa-like environment. I think of the dainty scent of flowers, shades of white everywhere, clean surfaces and reflective surfaces. Here is my own inspiration for a luxurious, spa-like bathroom experience.

Beautiful white flowers in delicate organic shapes help set the mood.

A white glass tile mosaic, such as the beautiful example here, lends to the clean aesthetic of the spa environment. In a bathroom it shimmers and shines under the lights (thanks to various degrees of reflective glass) and makes your bath sparkle.

I love a great white damask wallpaper, even with a hint of metallic (such as mylar) for the added dimension of shine and reflection.

A solitary bath you can sink into with the sun's rays streaming on your face, and even the glow of candlelight for after the sun sets, evokes feelings of ease and relaxation.

This bathroom is more traditional than spa style, but the clean lines and wall lamps/sconces give it a spa feel without completing indulging in the concept.

This bathroom takes advantage of the glorious shimmering stone tile, while still incorporating another style's influence.

Calm and serene. That's a bathroom any lady would love to put herself in to just relax and indulge. We spend a great deal of our lives in the bathroom, so why not make it a pleasurable experience?

Photo credit: Rate My Space, Design Your Wall, & Cool Tiles.

My Style (E)scape

2009-06-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

A while ago I entered a contest over at coco+kelley to design a inspiration board for tableware in the vein of outside entertaining using items from Vivre. The theme I selected was Carrie Bradshaw (in her "adult" apartment, referring of course to SATC: The Movie). Fortunately for me I made it to the top 10 (I forgot to vote for myself, or ask people to, so I was quite surprised!) Here was my entry:

Stylish Entertaining: Carrie-d Away! by colorlovelife on Polyvore.com

Unfortunately I didn't win, but it was the very first inspiration board I made and it was a lot of fun! It turns out that AphroChic is doing the same contest for a similar prize, so I may enter that one as well.

Regular Blogging to Resume Monday!

2009-06-29T00:49:00.001-07:00

It's been a nice few days away from blogging and spending time with my family, but Monday means back to business! I've got some new ideas that I think are pretty great, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Return to Normalcy

2009-06-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

My world has been filled with so much love the past three days. It didn't start well, though. Thursday afternoon my diabetic mother had a severe low blood sugar and I had to call the paramedics to take care of her when I was unable to. In my fear I called Jeff and without much hesitation, he left work early, ran home and collected enough belongings for a few days and rushed up to see me. He was due to come up Friday morning but because of everything going on with my mom came up a day early. Mom turned out fine in the end, thanks to the amazing paramedics here in town. The moment he arrived began the greatest experience I've had in a long time.

It's mid-evening Saturday now and Jeff left a good twenty minutes ago. I shed some tears, as usual, and even he shed a few of his own. We had a lot of fun and today was as perfect a day as any perfect day could be. We made brunch for everyone and we all sat down together to eat. Later we went to the Flower Festival (an annual carnival in Lompoc) and then returned home. Jeff and my grandma and I went swimming in the pool and then we had a nice dinner from Subway. We played video games as we ate and before he packed up his stuff to go home we laid on the bed and hugged each other.

We may be young (he's almost 21 and I'm 26) and some may have questioned whether our union was a perfect match, but there is very little doubt in my mind that our relationship is anything less than perfect. Even with the squabbles and the occasional fight, our entire world is about loving each other. It's been a great 13 (almost 14) months and every day I thank my lucky stars for giving me such an amazing guy to be not only my future husband, but the greatest best friend I've ever had.

I love you with all of my heart, Jeffrey.

And now that he's gone and we're not sure if we'll see each other in 2, 3, or 4 weeks, it's time to move on with the life I live separate from him and to continue to search for a job and do my thing. And he will do what he has to do. That's what life is.

Guest Blogger: Passionate Bold Striking Flora

2009-06-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Parker is a budding scientist currently working on obtaining a degree in molecular and cellular biology. In his free time he enjoys cultivating a passion for flowers, particularly those of the exotic variety. Currently in his own home, Jeffrey has a Chinese Yellow Banana, Passion Flower, Trailing Red Spider Fuchsia, Upright Jingle Bells Fuchsia, and would enjoy maintaining exotic orchids if his budget allowed for it. Here, he shares with us three choice exotic flowers and how you can grow them in your own home! (Images were obtained by Jeffrey via Google Images).

I have picked out 3 plants in particular which I believe it could be agreed upon produce astonishing flowers. They come from all parts of the world and need different requirements in different humidity, soil, sun exposure, and air quality, so the advice I give is strictly from the vantage point of Western Garden, in an inland valley, or one whose weather is most influenced by the interior of the continent rather than offshore.
#3- Dahlias
Although these flowers are not hard to find and may seem ordinary, they can be far from it. Though I have never seen it, these bold flowers can grow as wide as 15 inches across in some species, and come in a wide variety of colors, and stamen/ovum colors. The leaves can also be different colors. Working at the Do It Center in the nursery, The largest Dahlia I have ever encountered was 13 inches across. Normally to get flowers these big it is necessary to throw a huge amount of nutrients (especially nitrogen) on them to get them to flower, but it is an art to get them to produce a few huge flowers, as supposed to a moderate amount of medium flowers.
Normally these flowers are bought when they first come in, but sometimes they stay in the nursery a year until someone decides they see a flower and they want it. To get them to continue blooming it is necessary to help them by carefully watering them, and making sure they have sufficient foliage to support the flower (nutrient-wise), then 2-3 weeks before it is time for them to bloom (late spring to end of summer) I will give them nitrogen and iron, over a long period of time to help them develop the flowers. It should be noted they need to be in the ground or else they are very stressed under transplant conditions, and should wait till next year. When flowers fall over and can not be secured, they should be cut off and floated on water or discarded. After the flowering season is over, they should be given ½ as much water and all the flowers cut off to prevent stressing the plant to support the giant limb. I know the least about these in this list because I have never owned one, but I do take care of them in the nursery.
#2 – Musa Lasiocarpa (Chineese Yellow Banana)
This is truly an exotic plant, and may require a green house or covered 4 walled courtyard to grow. This is not a true banana but a true relative. When it gets to the right time, the flowers starts to develop, and from that point, none of the leaves develop anymore. It takes a full year for the flower to develop, and the leaves slowly die off until all that is left is the bud at the top of the plant, usually at the beginning of the summer. Then a magnificent 8 inch yellow artichoke looking flower opens up, and remains until the end of summer. At the same time this is happening, many leaflets (small plants) may start forming and spreading from the base of the plant. These are new plants that can be kept in place or transplanted. I believe the flower smells like banana, but I have yet to know, since the one at the house has yet to open. At this point, the flower should be cut from the trunk at the end of the season, The original trunk should be cut down, and time should be allowed for the sprout to start the process all over again.
This flower should not be picked. It is beauty in the idea in the beholder, because it is mounted on a dying trunk. This plant needs shade in hot regions like mine, and very fast draining soil. It is also beneficial to have many worms at the bottom to ensure good drainage. When I planted mine, I also had added perilite and sand, a very small amount of 15-30-15 to tempt the roots out, and the original soil. It is also beneficial to break the root ball from the store when planting, and to make sure the plant never gets direct sun light when it is extremely hot outside. The closer you have it to a house the better it may due, as the house will support it in the wind, and the temperature is slower to change around the house.
#1 Passiflora Alacaeruela (Passion Flower)
My favorite flower, I have been raising this vine for well over a year now, and it took off after I planted it in the right location. In the hottest regions, this plant needs shade at least half the day, and it is best not to have intense evening light when the day is at it’s hottest. Overall I would worry more about the vine freezing then about it burning in the sun. It is advisable to mimic the location it was grown in the store it is bought from. But what makes this flower so amazing is how hard it seems to obtain in certain regions, and how alien the flower looks. The flower is 3-4 inches across, the outside petals are greenish purple with 10 petals alternating purple and white. The stamens arrange in a circle like a hub sitting a centimeter away from the petals, and the ovum comes out the middle 2 inches, spreading into 2 level at the top. The bottom level has 5 extending parts, and the top has 3. The top of the middle section looks almost like the hook on a grappling gun, and it makes for arguably one of the most bizarre flowers in nature. The reason that very few people posses these plants is cause cooped up on a stick, the hardly flower. They are hard to obtain, because most people don’t know about them or buy them, so very few nurseries will spend the energy to grow them. Considering what you get they are fairly inexpensive. The leaves of this plant are three lobed, like the boy scout emblem. They are an amazing highly adaptive plant with a very specific niche. They support a particular type of butterfly, which lays its eggs on a leaf, and then eats the leaf, gets wrapped up in a chrysalis. Then the butterfly will pollinate the plant.
The best plan is to set an area up well in advance for this plant. It likes gradual change. It should be shaded a couple of hours till gradually the light reaches it’s peak (noon), and then should get full sun, finally allowing the sun to filter out gradually for the rest of the day. This is how I have it, so I assume it should work for most in Southern California as well. My plant grew around the courtyard to a length of near twenty five feet. The soil is very important. NO CLAY, planting this plant in excellent draining soil is crucial to its survival. I dug out an area 5 to 6 X the area of the roots in width, and mixed in a lot of potting soil and sand, with ample perilite, and a small amount of 15-30-15 all purpose, with a fair amount of ironite to support the leaves and photosynthesis. It should be noted I keep this plant in close proximity to a sprinkler, and it is near a giant bird of paradise, and a majestic fern, next to a 300 + gallon pond. This may keep the humidity in the area slightly higher, and give certain parts shade more at certain times. Once the plant is established it is hardy as long as it is fed once a year, and does not freeze. The vine should also be heavily trimmed to keep it from overexerting itself, and waisting energy. As soon as I was aware of a long overgrown 25 foot vine, I cut it off.
Note: This may not be the best method for growing the above plants in your area. Always get an experts advice before proceeding with these plants. The Western Garden Book edited by sunset is like the bible of plants, and contains an alphabetical list by genus of all the plants grown in the west.

3 Party Dresses, 1 Pair of Shoes

2009-06-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Three party dresses style around one pair of shoes? When the shoes are as fabulous as these, it's difficult to resist! Here is our take on three different ways to dress up and style around a pair of great heels. Like it? Let me know, or even suggest something new!

Put a Bow on It by colorlovelife featuring Chanel sunglasses

Emma Watson for Teen Vogue

2009-06-22T16:17:00.001-07:00

When I saw these new images of Emma Watson for Teen Vogue (via ONTD) I instantly fell in love. From everything to the colors, the location, the styling - everything is stunning. And inspirational. Take a look.

Fresh Look

2009-06-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this will be the last time I change the layout. At least as far as the colors are concerned, for a while. Please let me know what you think by commenting below. Thank you.

ABCs of Me

2009-06-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Perhaps these things are a bit juvenile, but from time to time it's important to get in touch with the kid within you and be a little silly. And so, the ABCs of me, Crystal:

A - Age: 26
B - Bed size: Twin
C - Chore you hate: Tidying up
D - Dog's name: I have a cat named Snuggles
E - Essential start your day item: Coffee most days
F - Favorite color: Pink & Green
G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: Platinum
H - Height: 5'10"
I - Instruments you play: I don't, but I do sing
J - Job title: Unemployed Blogger
K - Kid(s): Hopefully within the next 5 years
L - Living arrangements: Live w/ family
M - Mom's name: Cynthia
N - Nicknames: Crys, Giggles
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None
P - Pet Peeve: Bad grammar
Q - Quote from a movie: I'll have to think about this one
R - Right or left handed: Both
S - Siblings: I am an only child
T - Time you wake up: 6 to 9 hours after I fall asleep, or whenever the alarm goes off
U- Underwear: Colorful cotton from Lane Bryant
V - Vegetable you dislike: Beets
W - Ways you run late: Traffic
X - X-rays you've had: Most of my body
Y - Yummy food you make: Manicotti :)
Z - Zoo favorite: Elephants

Alice in Wonderland

2009-06-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Wow. The artistry here is both surreal and fantastic. I'm not much of a fan of Tim Burton, but I will definitely see this live action/animated/3D film simply for the amazing artistry represented here. Take a look:

The White Queen, Anne Hathaway

The Red Queen, Helena Bonham Carter

The Mad Hatter, Johnny Depp

For more information, point your browser to this link.

Happy Sunday

2009-06-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

It has been an unusually long day today. It started at 7am with a clogged toilet that only just got resolved within the last hour. To make a long story short (and save a potential blog entry for later) I am now officially an amateur plumber rock star. Not the ideal way to spend a Sunday, but I sure am glad it's over with. Happy Sunday to you all.

Park in the Sky

2009-06-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Perusing Tree Hugger led me to an article about a park in Manhattan that is architecturally and environmentally beautiful. Browse through the slideshow to see 19 awe-inspiring images of the sky high park of luscious greens, juxtaposed against the metropolitan cityscape of beautiful buildings and busy street corners. It reminds me of those beautiful places you see - in other countries - that you wish we had here in the US. I suppose that's my own fault for thinking we had nothing like that here in America. Now I feel as if I wish we had those here in California. My little corner of the Golden State here is void of these wonderful landmarks. All the more reason to get out and explore the world!

Thanks, Visitors!

2009-06-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

I've seen a definite increase in my stats this week, and I thank you very, very much! Here's a shoutout to the different parts of the country visiting Color Love Life &: Chicago, Tucson, Paris, Marlborough, Van Nuys, Marietta, Matawan, Storstrom (Denmark!), Santa Clarita (Hi, honey!), Concord, Staten Island, Arlington, Las Vegas, Lake Mary (FL), Henderson, Marshfield, Columbus, Kirkland, Saga (Japan!!), Gauteng (South America), and good ol' Los Angeles. Thanks everyone!

Color Crave: Accessorize Your Wardrobe

2009-06-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

These scarves from Anthropologie are lovely and make a statement. Whether you're demure or flamboyant, these scarves will compliment your wardrobe quite nicely.

If carrying a purse is essential to you (isn't it to everyone?) then you'll definitely want to check out the following beautiful bags. In candy colors, these bags will add punch and vibrancy to even the most monochromatic of wardrobes.

Carry a Pop of Color by colorlovelife featuring Hermes bags

Color Crave: Dress Up

2009-06-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Styling w/ Pink & Fuchsia by colorlovelife featuring Monsoon accessories

Color Summer Wardrobe by colorlovelife featuring Chinese Laundry shoes

Pink & Fuchsia Dresses by colorlovelife featuring Miss Selfridge

Color Crave: Home Furnishings

2009-06-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

When it comes to furnishing and decorating your personal space, a pop of color here and there can add life and interest to any room. Whether you prefer bold bursts of color from every corner, or a small pop of color scattered throughout the space, color can make a wonderful difference.

A well-placed rug can draw your eyes from center (looking about the room) to the floor, creating an interesting space and added dimensionality to your decor. The choice of solid colors, geometric shapes, floral or abstract is yours to make. Here are some great rugs that range in price (but all are affordable to any budget) and look great!

All of these beautiful rugs can be found at the always amazing Target.

Color Crave: Pink & Fuchsia Packaging

2009-06-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the packaging is just as beautiful (sometimes more) as the product's result. These beauty products from Sephora are just as pretty on the outside as they'll make you feel on the inside.

Pink & Fuchsia Beauty Products by colorlovelife on Polyvore.com

Color Crave: Beguiling Blooms

2009-06-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Flowers are a perfect way to dress up anything, from a silk corsage on your lapel to a vase full of daisies on your table. Partake in the exquisite beauty of these selected flowers in shades of pink and fuchsia.

Color Crave: The History Fuchsia & Pink

2009-06-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

Colors are so versatile, we see them in literally everything around us. We live in a colorful world. Most people can name one specific color as their personal favorite, and others simply cannot choose which one they like the best. Colors are iconic. The red sole of a shoe means it's a Christian Louboutin. A blue box wrapped with a white bow means Tiffany's. Roses are red and violets are blue. Christmas is red and green. Valentine's Day is for pink and red. Easter is home for pastels. You get the idea.

In honor of our brand new feature, Color Crave, I'm bringing you a brief history of the colors we love. You might be surprised when you learn a few facts about the colors in our lives.

Fuchsia. It's part purple, part red, and part pink. Fuchsia is so versatile! Until I began work on this feature I had no idea just how extensive the color is. The first recorded use of the color fuchsia was in 1892. Before the year 1958 (when my mom was born) the color was known as "brilliant rose" in the Crayola crayon box. It was renamed magenta. Fuchsia itself has many incarnations, including Light Fuchsia Pink, Fuchsia Pink, Hollywood Cerise, Deep Fuchsia, Fandango, and Royal Fuchsia.

Pink. It's first recorded use was in the 17th century. It is largely associated with gender stereotypes, as well as sexuality stereotypes, largely focused on the gay (or LGBT) community. On the Thai Solar Calendar, pink is associated with Tuesdays; if you're born on a Tuesday you may adopt pink as your color! It is believed that if your aura is pink you strongly desire relationships. In America our President lives in the White House. In Argentina, the President lives in the Pink House. Of course we all know how much Victoria's Secret, Mary Kay and Barbie all love pink. The kind of pink no one loves: pink slip.

For more information on these two colors, you can click on over to Wikipedia.

Announcing: Color Crave

2009-06-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Starting Friday, Color Love Life & will be premiering a new feature, as part of the fresh new direction the site is going in. Color Crave will focus on color (singular or in combination) and how it can impact design, fashion, and life. First up, CLL& will focus on the beautiful combination of pink & fuchsia. From floral and fabric to confection and landscape, we'll show you how these colors can punch up your everyday life.

Santa Cruz Island

2009-06-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Video of Santa Cruz Island

2009-06-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

Style: Lauren Conrad, Relaxed California Chic

2009-06-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

Lauren Conrad is known for her relationships and drama on shows like Laguna Beach and The Hills, but it's her style that has me adding photos of her to my growing inspiration collection. We're built much differently, but Lauren's style is a universal style that can be applied to any girl, no matter what her waistline is.

When she's not promoting herself, Lauren's style is relaxed, California Chic. She favors skinny jeans and black leggings, with interchangeable gold flats and black CL pumps. She's never without a pair of stylish sunnies and always carries a great bag with her, like a classic quilted Chanel or a Balenciaga motorcyle bag in a color that pops.

We've recreated her basic relaxed day look here. Though she has a basic style of relaxed comfort, Lauren is great at changing up her look so that she sticks with what looks great on her (and what we've come to expect from her, style-wise) but so that she also varies between casual and glam. What do you think? Are you loving Lauren's Relaxed California Chic style?

A Fresh Start

2009-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

If I were to ever create my own line of products, one of the names I would seriously consider is Fresh. To me, the word fresh implies just that, something new and untampered with and wonderful. A freshly picked bundle of flowers can light up any home (and any girl's face). Freshly picked fruits are tasty and delicious. Fresh is desirable. And so, how would I describe the new direction of Color Love Life & ...? Fresh, of course! This is what we are all about. Color & Love are two of the most important elements in my life. Through art, fashion and design I will be examining the culture of a lifestyle balanced with both color and love.

I have a lot of ideas and I look forward to sharing them with you. A fresh start.

Back from the Mini Vacation

2009-06-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have a day that feels about the length of a week? That was today for me. We took a boat cruise out to Santa Cruz Island (part of the famous Channel Islands, here in California) and I swear it felt like we were stranded there for a very long time. We hiked for about (I kid you not) FOUR miles. If you know me, then you know that I'm hardly in the physical shape required for such a feat (bad knees, bad back, generally lazy) and along the way I did tell Jeff that I hated him, but by the time we got to the top of the trail it was well worth it. I have many photos and a video to sort through but I'll be posting them very very soon. In the meantime, like I posted last night, I believe I've found exactly what I want to accomplish with the site so I'm going to start working on that... possibly tonight. I could use the distraction from the massive sunburn all across my face and neck!

Direction

2009-06-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'm comfortably sitting in a nice bed at a La Quinta in Ventura. Jeffrey is sleeping next to me, his arm reaching out to me, and I am perfectly content. We had a delicious meal from Amici's Pizza and grabbed some food and water for tomorrow before coming back to the hotel to eat and watch Seinfeld in bed. It's been a great evening.

Tomorrow we are getting up very early for our boat trip out to Santa Cruz island. I've got both my Flip and digital camera ready for whatever may come our way. But, first things first.

Color Love Life & has been around for maybe about 3 months now, and for that time I've been trying to figure out what it is I want to say with this blog, what I want to do, and what it will be about. Well, I think I've finally found the answer, and I will be working on transforming the site into what it will ultimately be. I'll make an announcement soon as to what the new direction will be.

Mini Vacation

2009-06-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

I miss summer vacations from school. Playing at the pool, hanging out with friends, not a care in the world. The older you get the less fun these adventures become. Unless you have money (seriously! Think about it...) Well, this is my first summer where it is absolutely vacation-free. I'm no longer just on break from school. I am now a full-fledged college graduate and unemployed young lady. (OMG this song is fantastic - "Hey Jude" from the Across the Universe soundtrack). I hate being unemployed. But it's coming along and hopefully in another month I won't be still unemployed. Anyway, as I was saying, I love summer vacations, even in their mini-est form. Tomorrow I am embarking on a 2 day vacation (!!) with my lovely boyfriend, Jeff. We're meeting up in Camarillo so he can look at a townhouse with Michael, and then we're checking into the La Quinta in Ventura (they seriously have the most comfortable beds I've ever felt in a hotel room, perhaps save for a hotel I stayed at in Sacramento, but I digress). Early Wednesday morning we will embark on a boat trip out to Santa Cruz Island (part of the Channel Islands) and will have a few hours to roam about a place neither of us has ever been to before. So excited! I'll come fully prepared with some Odwalla bars, my digital camera and my brand new FLIP! Fun to commence in less than 24 hours!

4 Guys and a Wedding Site

2009-06-15T19:40:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

2009-06-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Cream of Wheat with banana nut granoal (from Bear Naked) and jumbo red raisins and a dash of sugar. Also, decaffeinated Yuban (rainforest safe) with Italian Creme creamer and a dash of sugar. (Sorry for the low picture quality).

I Miss Photoshop

2009-06-14T23:50:00.001-07:00

It's been a very long time since I've done any creative work in Photoshop. And lately I feel this absence is producing feelings of wanting to BE creative. Lately I've wanted to draw and paint, the latter of which I'm not as great at as the former. I need to create something! So I'm downloading GIMP, since I cannot afford Photoshop for my Macbook at this time. I'm hoping it will be enough of an outlet to get this out of my system for the time being! An older version of Photoshop is installed on my older desktop, but after sprucing up my room I decided to store the desktop (under the bed, ahem) so it wouldn't take up too much real estate on my desk. We'll see how that goes!

Video Blog #1

2009-06-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Just Purchased... for Him

2009-06-14T23:07:00.001-07:00

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

2009-06-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

A few days ago (maybe last weekend?) I went browsing through a local bargain store for a great mirror to add to my room. I used to keep a small, gold framed mirror in my room, but when I moved away to college the mirror was taken and put in the bathroom. While at school I was shopping with Jeff and found a beautiful silver framed mirror that was very sparkly and girly and wonderful and I didn't buy it at the time. A mistake. So when I went looking last Sunday I was hoping to find something similar, which I didn't, and instead found a great gold framed mirror that is very large and very inexpensive. Today I'm going to go pick it up and make it fit into my room somehow. I've been working with a lot of browns and creams and gold colors in my room but everything is sort of mashed up at this point. I think it will look okay no matter what.

Now for something colorful and happier

2009-06-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

A Dismal Glimpse of North Korea

2009-06-11T01:09:00.001-07:00

In light of the recent happenings involving the two American journalists (one of which is the sister of uber-journalist Lisa Ling), it seems as if North Korea is on everyone's minds, even in unlikely places (multiple NKorea posts on ONTD!) I've watched Lisa Ling deliver amazing documentaries since I was in the 9th grade and she was on Channel One. I was linked to these 5 videos about the prison life within NKorea. Check it out:

Life Planning

2009-06-06T20:30:00.001-07:00

Recently Jeff and I have had talks about our future and it's come out that we're on different life paths right now. Perhaps for some people that would cause them to break up or change their relationship, but we decided to instead compromise. He's decided to take on one extra year to get his BS in Biology (with an emphasis on genetics) because of the way classes are offered and how he wants to improve his GPA so he can get into a good grad program. Before, I was prepared to wait the 1 year for the BS and two additional years for the MS and at that time we would look at marriage and having kids. But I've realized and since confessed to him that, in light of the extra year for the BS and the fact that he's reconsidering getting a PhD, I can't wait quite that long. He's been telling me to go on with my life and to keep making life plans without him, and I've been trying to reiterate to him that my plans are done and what I want to do in the next phase of my life is to get married and start a family. I know how Mary Sue that sounds, but it's really true for me. I feel emotionally and academically done with school for the time being. I have my BA and two AAs and eventually I do want to get an MA in art history or even an MFA (something I've recently considered), but right now it's not right for me. I'm 26 years old and my acquaintances (outside of college) are all married/with kids and I want that happiness right now. So I can't very well plan events for my life without Jeff when what I want so clearly involves Jeff. So, compromise.

I've helped him realize that - okay - while children while he's in grad school isn't the greatest idea, there is absolutely no reason why we can't be married while he finishes school. Marriage won't disrupt his academic life like kids would. So, we are getting married. It's not official. He did give me a diamond ring late last year that was meant as a promise ring, but even he's admitted that it is also like an engagement ring, we're just not officially engaged just yet.

And so, because I'm being encouraged to continue to plan my life I have decided that there may be no harm in planning out my dream wedding. Technically it's my own plan but it does involve Jeffrey, so that kind of satisfies both ends. I have a few bridal magazines and I'm constantly thinking about plans I would make, such as flowers, the cake, my dress, the bridal party, etc... That way when he does ask me I can hand him my notebook and say, "It's taken care of, sweetie."

Simply Amazing

2009-06-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Coffers

2009-05-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Found @ coco + kelley

http://www.cocokelley.blogspot.com/

I was browsing through my bookmarked favorites and when I came upon coco + kelley I found this armoire that I immediately thought were coffers from a ceiling! How much they look like the beautiful coffers at the Getty Villa in Malibu.

Some Funny for your Tuesday

2009-05-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Trimming Out the Pieces

2009-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Photo by Jeffrey.

I think life is a constant reexamination of your environment and cutting out and putting in things that either don't matter or do. For example, over the past few weeks I've been thinking about friendship. When I think about what I want in a friend and how my friends have been treating me I realize that they are not the same. I had two friends, called L & J. L was never really my friend to begin with; in fact, he was my next door neighbor at school and I thought he was pretty cool. He was dating J. This is how I met Jeffrey. We all ended up living together, in a manner of speaking, and several times L & J upset me or I witnessed them using me or Jeffrey (mostly Jeff) for their own gain. It took almost two years but finally I cut L & J out of our lives completely. Yes, I also cut them out of Jeff's life, because he's too nice a person and would let them continue to walk all over them. L & J were the catalyst for this "trimming out the pieces" aesthetic that has been my life recently. I now know full well who my friends are, who is just an acquaintance, and who pretends but isn't really anything at all. I just went through my Facebook and deleted nearly 20 contacts of people that I only had on there because we went to high school or college together, but we never really talked and there was no point in labelling them as a "friend", even in the online world, because they just simply didn't qualify.

Inevitably there is pain that follows. The pain of knowing that people aren't who you think you are. It really does make you feel as if you've been wearing the rose colored glasses as of late. That's never a particularly happy thing, the rose colored glasses, and so... At least I know now and I think I'm able to better identify these people. It doesn't make it any less sad, however.

I Love... Coffee!

2009-05-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my grandma I was able to induldge in one of my favorite activities: COFFEE. Thank you, Grandma, for giving me the $4 so I could enjoy a Venti White Chocolate Mocha. Mmmm.

Adaptation

2009-05-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

This week has been a difficult one for me so far. I realized it has only been literally one week since I graduated college and moved back home, but, as I explained to my grandma yesterday, a week of time is different when you live in a dorm room with your sorta fiancee and you're in 7 classes and getting ready for graduation and everything that comes along with it. To go from that - when I was busy every hour of the day - to this, where my biggest concern is which box to unpack today, it's a really big transition. A week here feels like a month.

I'm applying for jobs every day and trying to make the best of my situation, but I can't help but be bored. To go from being constantly busy to constantly boring is tough, like I said. I miss my boyfriend, I miss school a little bit and since I've been here I've made a lot of discoveries about myself. Like the fact that I have very few true friends and that none of them are close to me right now. Jeff is in Valencia, Michael is in Moorpark, Allie (who I barely speak to anyway) is also in Santa Clarita. I really do feel alone. I don't have a best girl friend and people who I thought were friends either turned out not to be at all or are merely just acquaintances after all. One friend in particular I thought would become really great friends with, but that didn't turn out either. She would make plans with me and then cancel or not show up, or always be too busy. I introduced her to my mentor and she got in tight with her and ever since things have changed. I really wish I could have been great friends with her because we're so like-minded, but she was on such a different path than me. She still is.

One thing that I have started that has brought me some unexpected joy is rewriting a trilogy that I wrote many, many years ago. I guess it is an adaptation. I wrote about things like love and friendship when I didn't really know what those two things are. Now that I have some experience and perspective I'm hoping to add some depth and dimension to these characters that I have written from my heart. It's been unexpected. I got as far as the prolouge and then I couldn't figure out how to rewrite the first chapter. I turned myself into bed last night and it suddenly dawned on me! I wipped out the laptop and began writing for a long time. I didn't get to bed until nearly 4:30. It was a great feeling, to be honest, and it made me excited for what today would bring. I don't know what will come from this experience but hopefully it will bring nothing but great things into my life.

On another note, I still have more videos I can add, and I plan on doing so. Maybe I'll try and learn some tricks in iMovie so I can fancy them up a bit!

To Write, or Not to Write?

2009-05-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking to myself that I'd love to rewrite a story I wrote a few years ago, polish it up and hope to maybe get it published one day. The original format of the story is floating around on the Internet somewhere and some time ago I happened to find it and save it to my computer. When I thought about whether or not I would rewrite it I went looking for it, and instead came upon the entire Twilight series in PDF format. Honestly, I thought I had deleted those. I haven't read those books in a year. Much like with the seven Harry Potter books, I haven't been able to reread them. I find it difficult to just pick up a book I've already read and to re-read it. Anyway, with my own book, I think it's something that would translate well into today's times, even though it was written about 8 years ago. We shall see.... we shall see.

Job Hunting

2009-05-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

Despite the fact that I have a lot of customer service experience and three college degrees I am finding it very difficult to find a job. I'm browsing through Craigslist and 99% of the job postings are not applicable to me. The other 1% I'm applying for and not hearing anything back. In fact, I've never heard back from any Craigslist listing that I've replied to. Isn't that strange?

Grandma Says Hi

2009-05-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

The End is the Beginning is the End

2009-05-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back home with my mom and grandma and 2 hours away from school. It's still taking some time for the knowledge that I'm going to be here for the foreseeable future and not just a week or a month or three months and then I'll go back to school. I'm done with school. It's a bit weird. I was very blase about it and then once we began the processional to our seats I began sobbing and crying like a baby. It just hit me. I'm not exactly sure what "it" was but I was suddenly so overcome with emotions. I had to start thinking of anything but what was going on i order to stop the crying.

The ceremony itself was great. About 1/3 of the graduates left in the middle of the ceremony because they got bored. Which I think is really disrespectful and crappy. I never really liked most of the people at that school and looks like I had good reason not to. So after the ceremony we worked on finishing up the dorm room, which took the next six hours, unfortunately. We made it out though and had a nice dinner at Marie Calendar's. Afterwards, my parents drove home and I stayed with Jeff. We bought tickets for the late IMAX showing of Star Trek. Before that started we walked through the new Promenade and Jeff got me some cute new Crocs (mine were busted) and he got some new cologne and me some lotion. It was a lovely evening. We sat on a bench and talked while watching a water fountain. The movie was amazing. Unfortunately I was really pretty tired when it was time to go home (just after midnight). I drank a huge can of AMP just so I could stay awake. Jeff and I both got gas and at the gas station is where we said our goodbyes.

Again, I started crying. I was saying goodbye to this guy who I love more than anything in the world and I don't know when I will next spend time with him. But I managed to only cry a little (thinking of monkeys helped). So far the separation has been okay because there's plenty to keep me busy. But I know there will soon come a moment where I will be overcome with emotion.

Anyway, it's weird that it's a Monday morning (almost afternoon) and... okay it's not weird yet. I'm okay with not having classes right now. But what is weird is being home and feeling like I should stop messing around and do some homework. I'll never have homework again, probably. I don't know how I'll shake that feeling.

My friends and family were very generous with me when it came to gifts. The coolest gift was a Flip video camera from my uncle Clark, which came with video messages from my cousins wishing me a happy graduation. Now that I have the camera I'm looking around for interesting things to film. I wouldn't be surprised if some started popping up here. We'll see.

Setup for Life

2009-05-15T00:49:00.001-07:00

Setup of chairs, originally uploaded by crystalcierlakart.

A sea of white chairs has infiltrated the South Quad of campus. About 8,000 to be precise. There are between 600 and 700 students graduating, and an expected 7-10 guests per student. Ergo, 8,000 in total. I know these chairs look harmless enough but boy are they intimidating. The great news is that my mentor, the woman who took me under her wing and helped cultivate my love for art history and architecture, is going to be ushering me down the aisle as I bid farewell to college and enter the "real" world. Time really is a fickle thing. It goes by quickly, seems forever to progress, and yet feels either like either a moment or a lifetime ago.

A Change... Again

2009-05-13T01:01:00.001-07:00

I decided the other layout wasn't working out for me too well. I loved the look of it, but it would just be too difficult to change once I got tired of it, and I'm looking to customize something to my tastes while still looking fresh and chic. And professional.

It's 1am and I'm up studying for my final final tomorrow. The final final of my final semester in college! Hooray! But then I have to move, so I'm not quite done yet, but by 3pm tomorrow I'll definitely be feeling a little lighter, and a lot more like a girl with a Bachelors of Art!

I Love Her... Sunnies!

2009-05-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

Heidi Montag. Photo courtesy ONTD.

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I keep a collection of photos on my comptuer of things I find interesting, whether it's flowers or home decoration or just a color I like. I also save photos of random people and some celebrities (not all, but a few) who's style I admire. Normally I would never pick someone like Heidi Montag, simply because I could care less about "celebrities" who basically whore themselves out for fame and attention. But this photo caught my eye because I love her sunglasses! Combined with her perfectly coiffed hair she looks like quite the perfect LA "it" girl. Paparazzi-crazed antics aside, she does have nice taste in fashion once in a while.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

Photo by me, Goleta Nursery, CA

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers, whether biological, adopted, unofficial or otherwise.

I Have No Clever Title For This One

2009-05-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Working on a paper for my library class right now, in which I am examining statistical informaiton about the libraries within the 23 campuses of the California State University system. It's actually pretty amazing so far, especially the average salaries of librarians per campus. Some are much higher than others. The numbers are practically writing the paper for me, which is helping a great deal. So far all of my data is being collected and compiled into one giant spreadsheet and from there I'll be able to write my paper. Gotta love computers!

Happy Weekend!

2009-05-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Another weekend is upon us once again. Finals are this week and by this time next Saturday I will an official college graduate with a Bachelor's of Art in Art with an exmphasis in Art History. But before that happens I have to get through finals. First I must finish a 20 page paper that I am co-authoring with another classmate, and then I must finish my glossary of architectural terms for undergradaute art historians. In the meantime, I hope you have a nice weekend! I will be glued to the laptop and entrenched at the library.

Naps are Underrated

2009-05-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

I seriously wish I could take a nap right now. I'm on my nth load of laundry and I've been going back and forth on multiple papers that are due tomorrow/this week. I'd like nothing more than to lay down on my bed (which has no sheets on it because they're being washed) and take a nice break. Maybe after I'm done with my second paper?

Laundry Day

2009-05-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I look forward to most in the entire year. No, I don't do my laundry just once a year. Today happens to be FREE LAUNDRY DAY at the dorms!!! Normally it costs $1 for a wash and 50 cents for a dry, which is cheap compared to some places. It just so happens that right now Jeff and I are both depressingly broke and the laundry piles have grown. So today we're going to take advantage of FREE LAUNDRY DAY and wash everything. Towels, sheets, clothes, undergraments, everything! (Unfortunately Jeff is at work so this mean I have to do it all by myself). But, nevertheless, it's FREE!

New Layout

2009-05-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time since I've worked on a website on a regular basis, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. To do this, I'm first playing around with layouts. I love colors and I would consider myself to be artistic, but when it comes to picking colors that work together, well I'm not so talented at that. So here's one layout that I'm going to stick with for a while. I'm going to try it on, so to speak, and see how it fits.

Meanwhile, my trip home has come to an and end it's time for me to go back to school to finish up the last two weeks of college.

I Call Her Penelope

2009-05-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to trade in my beat up 1992 Thunderbird (you can see it in the background of the last photo!) for a 2007 Hyundai Eleantra. It's the middle-line version, so it's bette than basic but without all the bells and whistles of the top line version. To me, however, it's bells and whistles accomodate me quite well. I see the car as great transitional transportation. It's not a hand-me-down like the Thunderbird was and it's just nice enough so that I feel like I am in an age-appropirate vehicle.

In the last two weeks I've put around 700 miles on the car (300 of which have been long-distance driving) and I'll find any excuse to drive it. It used to be that if Jeff and I had errands to run we would take his car, as his Nissan Sentra SE R Spec V was much more safe than my Thunderbird. But now I often ask to drive and lately he's been having to ask if he can drive. Oh how the tables have turned.

About the name... Penelope. It's one of those names that I love and I'd be so happy to name a future daughter Penelope, but Jeff dislikes the name. More so than any person should. And since Penelope is Greek and I've had a lot of study in Ancient Greece these past two years I felt the name was quite fitting (though I secretly call her Illyria, as well). Needless to say I'm over the moon about this new car and all the places she will take me!

Happy Weekend!

2009-05-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Soon Things Will Come to an End

2009-04-28T01:29:00.000-07:00

It's 1:30 in the morning and I'm sitting here in the dark with headphones on and no music playing. I just completed one major project but I still have way too many to go. I know that graduation is very much just around the corner and that it will be here sooner rather than later, but I still can't help but feel that there's just this gross amount of time hanging around so that I can procrastinate. In this sense I'm very happy I decided not to move on to graduate school just yet. I've been in college for the last 20 years of my life with little or no breaks and I'm tired. And even though I feel as if there is time while still knowing that there really isn't, I still feel pressured to get things done. I wish I were a better student, bottom line. Even though I get excellent grades and my professors all have high opinions of me (I think?), I'm still not as accomplished of a student as I'd like to be. It's not about extra curriculars or getting involved (done both, have disliked both). It's about feeling like I accomplished something more than a Bachelors degree. I'd rather feel that I've kicked the habit of procrastination rather than just having quit smoking cigarettes. I'd rather feel like I've grown. When surrounded by some of the idiots that matriculate here I feel well beyond my years, and yet within the 4 corners of my own dorm room I still feel like I'm not quite an adult yet. I really wish this feeling would end. Only time will tell. And there's only three weeks left of it.

At a Standstill...

2009-04-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I have to disregard my personal timeline in favor of doing things on someone else's timeline. It's very difficult for me to relinquish control of my life in that manner, but sometimes it is simply unavoidable. This weekend, for instance, is no exception.

We are supposed to be moving right now. Yesterday we picked up Jeff's dad's ginormous SUV and brought it back up to school. This morning we were to go pick up the trailer from U-Haul, take a load of my belongings and furniture up to my parent's home up north and tomorrow take Jeff's 55" tv and his belongings down to his home down south. Except the whole thing has gone south, in a manner of speaking.

We didn't wake up until after 10am and we were apparently supposed to pick up the trailer around 9am. Jeff doesn't know how to work an alarm clock, I guess. So he went out to pick up the trailer, except there was some sort of problem that they couldn't fix, he could find a fix for at Home Depot and couldn't explain to his father over the phone. So now he is driving the SUV back down to his place and then willd drive it back up. This means that I must wait approximately 3 hours. It's already going on 2am and we had projected to be nearly done at my home by this time. That's obviously not going to happen. Additionally, I've been the only person to pack and clean and all Jeff has done is complain. I'm tried of cleaning after him. I feel like a housewife (and not in the best possible way).

We're in the final 2 weeks of instruction during my final semester of my senior year of college and I put an entire weekend on hold to get this moving stuff done. I'm way behind on projects and at this point I feel like I will never graduate. And I have to wait 3 bloody hours. This is why I hate not doing things on my time frame.

CAR Love Life

2009-04-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

I did it! I traded in my old crappy clunker of a car for a brand new car (okay it's used, but brand new to me!) I had a 1992 Ford Thunderbird and I traded it in for a 2007 Hyundai Elentra in a beautiful metallic blue. I'm so happy with the car and find any and every reason to drive it around town. Jeff likes it a lot too, even comparing it with his car once in a while (your doors have this material on them that make them more sturdy than mine! or I wish my car still looked new, etc... ) I'll have photos of it soon. What I need to be doing right now is studying for a Spanish test on Wednesday!

Happy Saturday!

2009-04-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Photo by me.

For a while now I've been in the process of trying to replace my old junk of a car with a newer used car, one that won't fall apart or feel dangerous, such as my current vehicle does. Yesterday I was home with my family for the day and we looked at a potential vehicle, but that's not going to work out, unfortunately. Fortunately, they have told me that they have a few vehicles that would work well within our own terms, so I'm heading back up there today to take another look and hopefully drive home in a newer used car!

Independent Study

2009-04-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

Photos by me. Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.

I'm currently in my final semester of college as a student of art history and I'm taking a course in independent study for the second time. Last semester I wrote an 18 page paper on my observations from shadowing a college professor. This semster I'm writing an illustrated glossary of architectural terms for undergraduate students of art history. I have input about 165+ terms into a template (which I'm thinking of redesigning so it looks, well, more polished) and now I'm concentrating on incorporating images and textbook-style text. I realized that I have a lot of photos of buildings and random architectural elements that I can include in my book, chief among them these snapshots I took at the Getty Villa in Malibu last year during a trip for another class. Still to this day I'm surprisingly pleased with how nice these photos turned out considering the quality of my former digital camera (3 megapixels, something a kid would have about 5 years ago or so). Now I'm using a Canon PowerShot which I'm in love with and makes me feel confident as a photographer hobbyist.

I think this weekend, if time permits, I'll walk around campus and take photos of all of the tremendous architectural elements we have within our very own campus. My school is the actual Hotel California, the former mental hospital in Camarillo. Now it's California State University Channel Islands, but the architecture is still the same as it was at the start of the last century and serves as both a great example and homage to the school I've called home for the last two years.

What Should Be Happening Right Now!

2009-04-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

Photo by me. Jeff cleaning the kitchen.

I hate when cleaning needs to be done and yet there is no energy to do said cleaning. I feel the same way about homework and studying and all that great college stuff. The room is still messy, albeit, slightly less occupied by my stuff, but messy nonetheless. I made a plan to clean with Jeff but that was 43 minutes ago and nothing has happened. Unfortunately my back is hurting incredibly right now so I'm not in the mood to do much, but I must do something! Sitting around being lazy is just as bad as not cleaning. Actually, I think it may be the same exact thing.

Transitioning & Snuggles

2009-04-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

I came home to my home this weekend, armed with suitcases full of clothes, books, all of my dvds (mostly the cases) and some knick-knacks to alleviate the amount of packing I'd have to do come move-out day (which happens the day before graduation). I had barely started unpacking when Snuggles decided to claim the suitcase as his own. It's so darn cute when pets do this. I've had Snuggles for about 8 years now and I've had to be separated from him the last 2 years while I've been at school. I'm definitely looking forward to having him around full-time again. I think he knows that I'm coming back by the amount of stuff that keeps appearing in my room.

Speaking of which, since my room has been a catch-all of a variety of things while I've been gone, I'm keeping track of it's progression via photos. How do you transition from the adolescent belongings to an adult room? For the past 2 years I've been collecting and buying things to help with this transition and I feel really positive with how it's going so far. I'll soon post photos of the horrendous befores and the currents, all so I can hopefully envision the glorious afters.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Photo by me. Santa Ynez Mission, 2009.

I'm not one for celebrating days like today as I consider myself agnostic. But in the spirit of things, Happy Easter! Today I'll be heading back to campus after spending the weekend at home with my family. It's been relaxing, but strange at the same time. We're supposed to go have brunch soon but everyone is still in their pajamas so maybe we'll just end up making breakfast ourselves. I've still got some things to do here before I head back to school, such as laundry, finish unpacking (I'm bringing things home from school so I won't have so much to bring home the week of finals) and get at least some homework done. If only the Internet wasn't so addictive!

When I Realized I Love Color

2009-04-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't have identified it as a love of color at the time, but when it happened my heart nearly burst with a happiness that I cannot explain simply. It was the first time I watched Sofia Coppola's 2005 masterpiece Marie Antoinette. The colors were exquisite confection that was hard to ignore. It burst from the screen and just filled me with such deliciousness. My grandma bought the DVD for me as part of a gift for going off to college and since then she has fallen in love with the movie and I've given the DVD to her, settling for a copy my mom recorded on her DVD-R and Comcast Cable. I haven't watched it in a while, mostly because I can't bare to watch it on my own. No idea why.

I don't remember quite when it was (this happens to me frequently, it seems) but some time ago I started a folder on my (shared, with my boyfriend) laptop called Collection and started saving every photo I came across that filled me with even a margin of what I felt the first time I watched Marie Antoinette. Six hundred photos later I cannot help but give in and admit that my love of color is extraordinary. Of course, all of the images are "stolen". Not in an illegal way, but in a way in which I saved them because they are beautiful and inspriational and if posted here I have no way of crediting anyone who took the photo. So if anyone ever happens to stumble upon this little blog of mine (if I have the patience and aptitude to keep up with it) and sees a photo they have taken on it, please let me know and I will be ahppy to give credit where credit is due.

I know that most people, when they start these things up, go into it with an idea of what they want to say and express and I know I've even tried to do that in the past and I know that it does not work for me, at least at this point in time. I never have the time to dedicate to one particular task to complete it on a regular basis, which is odd considering my whole life is scheduled out for me until exactly May 16th of this year. That's the day I graduate from college. After that I have no idea what I will be doing. Anyway, this will merely be a hobby, one I hope to maintain as frequently possible, as I hope to one day progress it into something that is very real and substansial. Until that day comes, enjoy.